Teaching German

News

Spanish court suspends Catalonia independence referendum

Spain's Constitutional Court has blocked a referendum to grant independence to the wealthy northeastern region of Catalonia. It must now consider the government's request that the vote be declared unconstitutional.

The referendum was suspended on Monday by the 12-judge court following a one-hour emergency meeting, a spokeswoman said.

The vibrant region's 7.5 million inhabitants make up roughly 16 percent of Spain's total population. Catalonia, however, boasts the highest GDP in the country. According to figures from the European Commission, Catalonia's exports account for 20 percent of Spain's total exports. Moreover, Catalonia holds roughly 25 percent of foreign investments in Spain.